TC 7: Dying Tomorrow
by Tegan's Muse
Summary: What happens when Janet can't run the infirmary?
1. Chapter 1

**Tegan Chronicles 7**

**Dying Tomorrow 1**

"SG1 to the briefing room, SG1 to the briefing room." The klaxons blared and Tegan couldn't help but wonder what had gone wrong now.

"As you know Dr. Fraiser went off world with SG10 to assess a possible contagion on P8X-572. The disease was found to be only contagious among the people of the planet." General Hammond jumped right to the point. "When they were returning to the Stargate, Dr. Fraiser lost her footing and fell into a crevasse. They've been unable to extract her and they're pretty sure she needs medical assistance before any further attempts are made. I'd like to send SG1 in to retrieve her; can you be ready in 20 minutes."

Jack turned to look at Tegan. "How long do you need to get the medical supplies together?"

"I can be ready to go in as little as 10, sir."

"Major Kiser I'd like you to head up this mission, the rest of your team will be there as support staff." He glanced at Jack. "Do you have a problem with that Colonel"

"No sir." Jack stood up and looked at Tegan. "We'll meet you in the gate room in ten."

"Yes sir."

"Dismissed." General Hammond called to Tegan's already retreating back.

* * *

><p>"She's down there." Colonel Foster pointed down into the chasm to the tangled body that lay at the bottom of the perilous incline. From their current point of view Janet looked like a broken china doll in army garb.<p>

Another of SG10's members had most likely broken his ankle when attempting to go down to check on Dr. Fraiser's status. Tegan scanned him quickly; The ankle was crudely splinted and would have to do until they could get back to the SGC. She didn't want to waste another second on her original objective.

"Is she conscious?" Tegan asked, already gearing up her harness for the descent.

"We never got anyone down there Major, we don't know."

"Has she moved at all?" She jerk his binoculars from his hand, not caring he out ranked her and looked down to find Janet. Her eyes were closed, and Tegan reasoned it was a good sign, unless of course she'd closed them during the fall and… she could think about that, not now.

"We couldn't tell and to be honest I'm not sure how we're going to get her back up here." Foster was the CO of SG10, and some days Jack wondered how he managed the rank of Lt. Col.

"Very carefully," Tegan tilted her head to the backboard another member of SG10 was already lowering down the side, as she handed the binoculars back.

She was still a little miffed no one aside from Sam had offered to carry anything. She had her lighter pack, the backboard and a large med box that weighed at least 70 pounds. Not to mention she had to lug it a good two and a half miles from the gate. Of course it could be that she'd turned down Sam's offer, which caused no one else to ask.

"Sir, I'm ready to go down."

"Let Carter go down with you."

Tegan looked down at the slippery drop off, it was a strange formation. The rock was probably molten in nature since it looked like polished black marble. "No offense, sir, Major; but I think we've already got enough injuries for one day."

"And I'm letting you rappel down there because?" Colonel O'Neill raised an eyebrow.

"Because I'm an experienced climber and I am the only one who can properly assess Janet's injuries."

"Details, details…" He waved his hand. "Go on, if you need assistance radio up."

"Yes sir." Tegan turned to Teal'c. "Just make sure the ropes remain secure."

"Indeed." The Jaffa inclined his head as Tegan began her descent.

"Tegan," Colonel O'Neill called out when she'd descended about ten feet.

"Sir?"

"Be careful." He hated the situation that they were in, but it was great to see just what leadership skills she was capable of.

"Always sir." She gave him a small nod and continued.

When she reached the bottom a few minutes later she rushed to Janet's side. "Dr. Fraiser?"

"Tegan?" She opened her eyes.

"That's a good sign." Tegan smiled as she pulled a pen light out of her cargo pocket.

"Where am I?"

"You're at the bottom of a ravine. Do you remember what happened?"

"Yeah I lost my footing… and next thing I know... I'm down here." Janet's breathing was labored and Tegan did her best to forget that the person lying in front of her was a close personal friend.

"Did you lose consciousness?" Tegan asked while checking her pupils for reactivity.

"Tegan," Fear flashed in Janet's eyes. "I… I can't move."

"I don't want you to try to move, ok Janet." Tegan's voice remained calm despite the voice screaming in her head that this wasn't happening. "Are you hurting anywhere?"

"No." She tried to remain calm, breathing was hard enough as it was. "I don't think I can feel anything below my neck."

Although she didn't show it, her stomach felt like she'd just realized she didn't have a parachute seconds after jumping out of a plane.

"You're going to be alright Janet." Tegan reassured her before she put her stethoscope in her ears and listened to Janet's chest. She kept her professional mask on, hiding the frown that threatened to pull at her lips. "I'm going to go get the backboard so we can get you out of here."

Tegan walked over to the backboard and radioed up to Jack. "Colonel respond."

"I'm here Major, what cha got?"

"Sir, it doesn't look good." Tegan glanced back over at her friend and colleague. "In the very least she has a few fractured ribs and a collapsed lung." She took a deep breath; this was just a bad dream. It had to be. "Worst-case scenario she won't make it off the planet. Second worst, she'll be paralyzed from the neck down."

"Damn." He said more to himself than to the radio. "Sam's still trying to figure out the best way to get her back up."

"We don't have time to spare, sir." While she'd been talking to him, Tegan had been going through Janet's supplies. "I don't have anything down here I can use to help re-inflate her lung, I need you to get one of the medics to go through the med pack and look for a chest tube kit and sterile drapes. I'm going to put her on the back board and secure her to my harness."

"You're not going to be able to climb over 500 feet up that glass wall Major."

"Sir, I don't have a choice. Besides it's not glass."

"It might as well be." Jack grunted. "It's too risky Major."

"It's take a chance and maybe save her life… or…I can do this sir." She said with more resolve.

"I have to advise against it. Give Major Carter ten more minutes to come up with a plan."

"My understanding was General Hammond put me in charge of this mission, sir. You are here as back up personnel. I will give Major Carter until I get Janet secured and immobilized before I start climbing."

"Understood."

Tegan moved back over to Janet with the backboard and c-collar. "How are you doing Janet?"

"Can't… breathe."

"I know." Tegan nodded. "You've got a collapsed lung, most likely from the trauma. When we get topside, I'm going to put in a chest tube."

"Can't… climb."

"I'll make you a deal, you concentrate on breathing and I'll concentrate on climbing." She secured the c-collar around Janet's neck.

"Just… leave me… here."

"And tell Cassie what, that I left you at the bottom of a cliff on some planet in another galaxy? Or that you just gave up? That's not the Janet Fraiser I know." Tegan put the board between her and Janet. "I'm going to roll you away from me, so I can slide this under you."

Janet closed her eyes, and both women silently wished she would feel pain even if it was just a twinge. Janet wished to feel anything.

Tegan rolled the shorter woman carefully pushing the board underneath her before laying her back. Once she had Janet completely immobilized and secured to the board she secured her harness and prayed to anyone who would listen that it would hold. "Sir, we're coming up."

"Alright, Major." Jack nodded to the muscular Jaffa. "Teal'c is going to pull up your slack. Watch your footing on the way up."

"Of course, it'll be a piece of cake sir." Tegan glanced at the wall of slick rock in front of her taking a deep breath. There weren't many good footholds. She secured her radio and called over her shoulder. "You ready Janet?"

"Yes," Came the breathy reply.

"Alright, it might get a little bumpy, but you're not going to fall."

"Trust you."

"I'm glad someone does." Tegan's response was so low, only she could hear it. She raised her voice. "Ok, here we go."

Tegan made good timing on the first 100 feet. It was as if someone was putting all the right sized outcroppings just where she needed them. Every few minutes she would ask Janet how she was doing. At 150 feet the footholds were getting scarce and the ones she was finding were so small she was afraid they would give way with the weight of both women.

At two hundred feet her right hand grasped onto a nice small ledge, just as the rock under her left foot broke free from the mountain. She slammed into the cliff wall, her face taking a beating but managed to keep her grip.

"Te…gan."

"It's alright Janet." She answered automatically while trying to get her footing back. The strain in her arms was tremendous, and sweat burned her eyes. A small seedling was the only thing Tegan could see to support her right foot. She wasn't sure it would hold, but knew it was her only chance. Her left grip was beginning to slip.

At the top of the cliff, Jack was beginning to worry as seconds turned into minutes without there being any change in the ropes' slack. He wished Tegan had left her channel open, so he would at least know what was going on. Three full minutes passed before Teal'c's expression relaxed and he pulled the rope in another foot. "Maybe she just needed a break O'Neill."

"You don't take a break when you're climbing a cliff like that big guy."

It was thrity-five minutes later when Tegan's voice was heard. "I could use a hand here."

She was just below the crest of the cliff, and with Teal'c and Jack's help she and Janet were pulled back onto level ground.

"Thank you." She said as Sam and Teal'c disconnected Janet from her harness. "Where are the supplies I asked for?"

"Right here." One of the field medics held up the pack.

"We need to set up a sterile field around Doctor Fraiser. Lieutenant Peters, if you will. Jacobs, go ahead and prep her chest. It's the left lung. Janet do you have any allergies?"

"No."

"Good. I'm not going to be able to give you anything for pain, I'm sorry. I need you lucid for the trip back through the gate. Once we get a head CT we can go from there."

"Understand." Janet was using her words sparingly. She smiled lightly. "Can't…feel… anyway."

"We're ready Doctor."

It took Tegan a second to realize they were addressing her. With a shaky arm Tegan mopped the sweat from her forehead, and turned her cap around backwards to help keep her hair back. She donned a pair of sterile gloves and looked up at Jack. "Sir you may want to look the other way. I don't want to have to suture your head."

"Right." Jack turned to face Major Carter who was looking anxiously at her injured friend. "Let's take a little walk Sam."

"You might feel a little pressure." Tegan was almost hopeful in her statement. She slid the tube in with a loud pop and when she pulled the guide out there was a large evacuation of blood. She connected the tube to a collection bag before calling out orders. "We need to get her back to the infirmary stat. Peters call ahead and have two units of O negative on standby. Let Warner know what we've got."

Tegan did a quick check of Janet's vitals before standing back up.

"You did good." Janet's breathing was already improving. "Much better now."

"We'll have you back on base and in Warner's capable hands with in two hours." Tegan reassured her.

"Not Warner, you."

"Warner's on duty." Tegan nodded to Teal'c to help her carry the stretcher.

"Warner's…" Janet thought better of calling him an ass in front of those people who depended on him for their care. He was a competent doctor; there just wasn't anything exceptional in his skill. "Not you. I want you."

"We'll see." Tegan responded hesitantly as they began the trek back to the gate.

"Last time I looked… I was still CMO. I'll fire him… if I have to."

"Let's not go to extremes Janet."

"Doc? Go to extremes?" Jack asked sarcastically. He was still worried about his favorite doctor, but he was glad to see she was still with them. "You gave us quite a scare Fraiser."

"You and me… both."

Half way back to the Stargate Jack had to take over for Tegan. The trembling that had started before she inserted the chest tube had increased. She hadn't asked for him to help, he just carefully nudged his way in. He knew the signs of fatigue and exhaustion and had been negligent in letting her help carry Janet back to the gate in the first place.

Janet was drifting in and out of consciousness and didn't even notice the change. Tegan informed the team it was a result of the blood loss and the quicker they got her back to the SGC the better.


	2. Chapter 2

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Dying Tomorrow 2**

General Hammond and Dr. Warner greeted them when they entered the gate room.

"I need a unit of blood hung stat, and an open IV of D5 normal saline. I want MRI standing by for a full body MRI." Tegan started rattling off orders immediately.

"A full body MRI?" Warner questioned her, as the medics took Janet to the infirmary. "Wouldn't routine x-rays be sufficient?"

Tegan was taken aback by his questioning her in front of what seemed like half the base staff. She bit down on the word 'ass,' before answering his question and putting him in his place so to speak. "Under normal circumstances, yes, however as you can see Dr. Fraiser is not currently conscious."

She held her hand up to prevent him from interrupting. She could tell he wanted to by his twitching lip. "I am fully aware this may be a result of the blood loss. But it isn't blood loss that has caused her other problems, which I'm not at liberty to discuss at this time, patient confidentiality and all."

"Of course," Warner tired not to color from embarrassment. "I assume you'll be filling me in on her status."

"To the contrary; Dr. Fraiser has requested I continue her care." Tegan turned toward General Hammond. "That is of course, with your permission sir?"

"You have my permission and blessings Major, carry on."

"Sirs." Tegan gave a cursory nod to the General and Colonel O'Neill before following her charge down the hall.

* * *

><p>MRI complete, and Janet's vital signs stabilizing Tegan took the first opportunity she'd had since her return to sit. The tremors from earlier were still evident to everyone but her, she'd since gotten accustomed to it and barely noticed it. Not wanting to leave Janet's side, Tegan pulled up an uncomfortable chair and situated herself. With in an hour she was wondering how Janet did it. Not just the uncomfortable chairs, but also the waiting.<p>

Med school had been different. As an intern she stayed tired and busy hopping from one case to another. So many patients she didn't have time to worry about any one individual. She still worried as any doctor and human being would, she still cared, sometimes too much. But the pressures and sleepless nights left little time for her to sit and wait for a patient to regain consciousness.

Combat medicine had been much the same. If she wasn't out in the field giving emergency aid, she was in a makeshift medical tent. When causalities hit, the numbers were high enough she was lucky to catch the soldiers' names she was working on, before she went back to check on them post procedure. Routine physicals were just that, routine. And then there were the kids, oh the kids were the worst. Innocent casualties of war, most of them so mangled by the time she got to them there was nothing she could do but hold them in her arms as they took their last breath.

After that she pretty much worked with animals and dead people. Not much to worry about there. The corpses were already dead, you didn't have to wait for them to die, and there was no use waiting for them to open their eyes and start talking to you.

She found herself pacing near the foot of the bed, glancing from the chart gripped in her hands to the readouts on the monitors above Janet's bed. She wasn't sure how much time had passed; if she'd looked it was another hour before she heard a dry rasp.

"You look like shit."

"You should talk." She smiled lightly as she walked up to Janet's side. "You rolled down a mountain."

"Still bet I look better than you." Janet's grin faded.

"What's wrong?" In one fluid movement Tegan pushed the joking aside and stepped into complete professional mode.

"My chin itches."

Tegan reached out her hand and rubbed her thumb across the other woman's chin. She could see the fear flickering in Janet's eyes, and did her best to hide her own.

Janet wasn't sure what she saw floating in those green orbs staring down at her, but something in them was comforting, or maybe it was just the gentle touch.

"Better?"

"Yeah, thanks." Janet almost regretted her answer when Tegan pulled her hand away. "So how bad is it?"

"Well," Tegan moved the chair closer to Janet's side and sat down on her level. She flipped open Janet's chart hoping the answer would just pop up off the page.

"Give it to me straight Dr. Kiser, I can handle it." Janet noticed the tremors and couldn't quite remember if they'd been there moments before.

Tegan smiled lightly at the salutation. She looked Janet in the eye, "well, let's start off with what we do know. You've got a hemato-pneumothorax, it can happen when there's internal trauma and blood fills the chest cavity."

Janet grinned. "I went to med school you know."

"Right, sorry." Tegan nodded lightly. "You've also got a fractured clavicle, a few cracked ribs. We ran an MRI and it showed no internal hemorrhaging, so you get to keep all your organs."

"And?"

"Well, the and is a little iffy. I'm not going to lie to you Janet, you've sustained some trauma to your spinal cord." She took a deep breath, "Right now I'm not sure how much of your paralysis and lack of sensation is due to actual damage and how much is due to swelling. I've emailed your results to a friend and practicing neurosurgeon for his opinion. We're monitoring you closely for respiratory failure. If it is due to swelling, and the pressure increases we could have to intubate you until the swelling recedes."

"What's your personal opinion?"

"I don't want to answer that for so many reasons." Tegan shook her head.

Janet was annoyed; she couldn't even sigh when she wanted to. "What does Warner think?"

"I didn't consult him on the matter." Tegan stated matter-of-factly. "As soon as I looked over your MRI results I sent a copy to Greg."

"Close friends?" Janet asked.

"Yeah, but nothing more." Tegan looked over her shoulder when she heard Jack clear his throat.

"So Doc, how's Doc doing?"

"You can ask her yourself sir." Tegan stood up, not realizing how tired and sore she was. She tried and failed miserably at hiding the discomfort the simple everyday movement caused.

"I'm fine Colonel, but it looks like my doctor isn't."

"I just sat too long." Tegan knew it was only a half-truth.

"You're too young to use that statement." Jack shook his head. "Truth be told I didn't come down here just to check on my favorite CMO. I came down here to relieve you for a couple hours."

"I'm fine Colonel, besides I need to stay here."

"No you're not fine, Major." He pointed to her hands. "You've been shaking like that for… six hours now. You're exhausted, and you look like shit. General Hammond wants you to report to his office. Then you are under his orders and mine, to take a shower and retire to your quarters for at least three hours. If anything changes with Fraiser we'll come get you."

Tegan looked at Janet, not wanting to leave.

"He's right Tegan, you need to rest."

"Who's the patient here?"

"I am, and I don't want a roommate." Janet smiled teasingly.

"One hour."

"Three." Jack held up his fingers.

"Two." Tegan waved two in the air.

"Three and not a second less."

Tegan huffed to show she wasn't happy. "You'll get me if anything changes."

"Scout's honor."

"When were you ever a scout?"

"I was a scout."

"I didn't think they had boy scouts in biblical times." Tegan countered.

"General Hammond's expecting you." Jack raised his eyebrows. "And I'm not that old."

* * *

><p>"You wanted to see me sir?"<p>

"Yes Major, have a seat." He was surprised she could stand at all. He hadn't actually noticed the tremors on his own, having been so worried about Dr. Fraiser's injuries. It was Dr. Warner who came to him with concerns for Tegan's welfare, followed shortly by Jack. "How are you holding up Major?"

"Just fine sir."

"Excuse the expression Major, but you look like shit."

"You know if one more person tells me that I just might get a complex." She smiled lightly. "But thank you for noticing sir."

"How's Dr. Fraiser doing?"

"She's regained consciousness sir. Her vital signs are stabilizing and the rest is just a waiting game."

"So she'll be ok in the hands of the nursing staff for now?"

"I'd rather not leave her at this point sir, but yes she should be ok."

"Good, because I was going to suggest you fill Warner in on her condition if not. I really should wait until after you've gotten some sleep, but…" General Hammond looked down at his desk. "You're being temporarily reassigned as acting CMO of Stargate command."

"Sir?"

"Doctor Fraiser and I spoke sometime ago, and she expressed that should she be sick or should anything happen to her, you would be best suited for the job. I have to agree."

The grape juice she'd down earlier was now acidicly trying to crawl back up her throat.

"Is there a problem Major?"

"No sir." She swallowed the bile.

"Good. I believe you are under orders to get some rest."

"Yes sir." She looked at her hands folded neatly in her lap, ignoring the tremors and fatigue her body felt before looking back up. "I have a question sir."

"Go ahead Major?"

"The Tok'ra?"

"I'm afraid Janet's care is completely in your capable hands." He shook his head. "They can't spare anyone to come with a healing device, I'm sorry."

"I understand sir, it was worth a shot."

"Yes it was," He agreed. "Was there anything else?"

"No sir."

"Very well Major, you're dismissed."

"Thank you sir."

Tegan headed back to the infirmary before planned to find the locker room and grab a shower. "How are you doing Janet?"

"Fine," Janet fed her the same line of bull Tegan gave everyone else.

"Very funny," Tegan knew she deserved it, and was glad to see Janet seemed to be in good spirits considering the current situation.

"You've got orders." Colonel O'Neill warned.

"I know, and I'm going to comply. I just wanted to check on Dr. Fraiser beforehand." She glanced up at the monitors a frown lightly creasing her brow. "Any trouble breathing?"

"No." Janet answered a little too quickly, which earned her an interesting expression somewhere between warning and puzzlement from Tegan.

The young doctor pulled her stethoscope from around her neck and carefully fit the earpieces in place before placing the bell on Janet's chest. After a few minutes of listening to different areas of her chest she returned the stethoscope to its resting place. She grabbed Janet's chart and started scribbling down notes. "I don't think it's from fluid building up in your chest, and it looks like your still draining fine."

Tegan pointed to the collection container while astutely counting Janet's respiration rate.

"Dr. Kiser, there's a Dr. Gregory Raynes on the phone for you. He says he's calling back about the films you sent." Julie stood at the foot of Janet's bed, anxious about the status of her friend and boss.

"Um…" Tegan looked around the infirmary. "I'll take it in Janet's, I mean Dr. Fraiser's office. And, Sergeant Copley, I need to give you some instructions regarding her."

She led Julie out of earshot of Janet and Jack before speaking again. "I need you to stay with Dr. Fraiser and keep an eye on her respirations. Right now her resps are twelve and her sats are ninety-two percent. If they drop below ten per minute or her oxygen saturation drops below ninety, I want you to send Colonel O'Neill to get me. Also have a number eight cuffed endotrachial tube standing by."

"Yes ma'am." Julie swallowed the lump in her throat as Tegan turned and headed for Janet's office.

"Dr. Kiser here." Tegan sat down as she spoke into the receiver.

"Tegan its Greg," He did away with formalities right off. "I got the MRI films you sent. What a mess! Some soldier playing war games?"

Greg had never been big on the military, still he respected anyone who would serve their country and protect his freedom. Tegan use to tease him it was only because he didn't like authority.

"Actually the Chief Medical Officer here, she was out on a mission and took a misstep right over the side of a 500 foot cliff."

"Lucky to be alive." He paused looking at the films on his screen. "Were you there?"

"No, I was called in on the retrieval mission."

"I see. So what's your take on this?"

"I sent the films to get yours." Tegan looked at Janet's computer screen where she had pulled up the images while talking.

"You can read these films as well as I can, if not better, and you know it." He wasn't just blowing smoke up her ass because she still had a chunk of his heart. "You give me what you've got and I'll see if I have anything to add."

"Well," Tegan hesitated closing her eyes. She didn't need to look at the images; they were all but burned to her retinas. "There aren't any complete fractures of the vertebra. In fact I'm not even finding any hairline fractures."

"Spinal column still could have been severed without a fracture." Greg pointed out what he knew she was already aware of.

"I know." Tegan sighed. "But I'm, I don't see any hard evidence of that."

"What symptoms is she presenting with?"

"Numbness from the neck down, I put in a chest tube in, in the field with no anesthetic, and she never felt a thing. She was breathing fairly well on her own after I put the tube in but, now her respirations are slowing, and the tube is clear."

"Other paralysis?"

"Neck down." Tegan responded. "I've got a nurse watching her resps now, and an ET tube on standby."

"I don't know why you sent me these films Tegan, you know what you're doing."

"I guess I just wanted your opinion."

"On whether she'll walk again?" Greg asked although he already knew the answer.

"Yeah," Came the quiet response.

"You know as well as I do it's a waiting game. Right now there's a 50/50 chance it's all related to swelling."

"Thanks Greg." Tegan looked up to see Colonel O'Neill standing in the doorway. "I need to go check on my patient."

"Let me know how it turns out."

"I will. I may even be calling you in on a consult."

"You don't need me." He laughed lightly. "Bye."

"What's up?" Tegan dropped the receiver into its cradle.

"Janet wants to talk to you."

Tegan nodded and rose to her feet. As she walked by Jack touched her arm lightly. He had a pretty good idea what Janet wanted, but couldn't bring him self to forewarn her. "You need to rest."

"I will." Tegan agreed easily, continuing to disregard the slight tremors that seemed to increase with each passing hour. That and the pain in her overworked muscles were currently the least of her worries.


	3. Chapter 3

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Dying Tomorrow 3**

Airman Copley stood up and left the two doctors alone. Tegan pulled the vacated chair closer and sat. "How are you feeling?"

Janet watched Tegan's green eyes flash up to check the monitor readings. "No life support."

"What?" Tegan paled.

"No life support." Janet repeated. "No intubation, nothing."

"You can't do that."

"I can." Janet argued without strength.

"You don't know that this isn't temporary." Tegan did her best to keep her professionalism intact.

"You don't know that it is."

"So you're just going to give up?" Tegan's voice remained neutral.

"What about Cassandra?" Sam stood in the doorway, having overheard more than she had planned to. "You're just going to let the military take her. Don't you even care about her?"

Tegan glanced at the numbers on the screen again. Janet's O2 saturation was 90%. "Sam this isn't the time or the place."

"Bullshit. Janet tells her patients all the time they can't give up, that they have to fight." Sam had been there plenty of times to know from personal experience.

"Major Carter, please remove your self from the infirmary." Tegan stood up making a barrier between Sam and Janet.

"No."

"As Janet's doctor I am ordering you to leave the infirmary, post haste." Tegan stood there waiting for Sam to move. Finally she pulled the one card she had left. "As acting CMO, if you don't leave the infirmary now, I will have to call security."

"You can't let her do this." Sam's blue eyes bore holes into Tegan's eyes. "You can't!"

"Major Carter…"

"Fine," Sam threw her hands in the air. "I'm leaving."

Tegan turned back to face Janet, after Sam left. She reached down and pushed a stray hair off her forehead, letting her fingers linger, knowing it was currently the only touch Janet could feel. "You know, with an O2 sat of 90% I could put this conversation in the 'not in complete control of her senses' category?"

"I am."

"I know." Tegan couldn't hold the tears back anymore. She was too tired, so she let them flood her eyes, and hoped they wouldn't overflow. "I don't want to do anything against your wishes, but there's a really good chance this is all from swelling."

"There's a really good chance it isn't."

"I can't find any reason to believe it's an actual injury to the cord." Tegan let her fingers fall away.

Janet wished she hadn't broken the contact. "What proof do you need?"

"You asked me once if I trusted you. Now I'm asking you to trust me. If your respirations drop any lower I am going to need to intubate. Let me. I promise if in a week's time you aren't showing any improvement I'll remove the ventilator."

"I do trust you."

"Is that a yes?" Tegan was hopeful.

"No."

Tegan sighed. "Ok. I'll just stay here and see how things progress."

"Three days." It was becoming more and more difficult for Janet to speak. "Promise me…. No more…. Than three?"

"You have my word." Tegan nodded.

"Let's do it." Janet didn't want to wait until she couldn't breathe at all, and this way if she was going to die, at least she'd be sedated.

When Colonel O'Neill stepped back in an hour later, he found Tegan looking over the connections between Janet and the ventilator. "She agreed to it?"

"Three days." Tegan continued her care, not bothering to look up. "I had to promise to extubate, no matter what, in three days."

"That's good right?" His forehead wrinkled.

"I don't know." Tegan answered truthfully.

"Ok." Jack let out a stream of air. "How about I tell you something I know?"

"What's that?" Tegan looked up at him for the first time, the tell tale signs of crying almost faded. However the oversize suitcases under her eyes weren't going to pull a vanishing act anytime soon.

"You need to get some rest."

"Ah, I should have seen that one coming." She turned back to check the settings on the ventilator.

"And the fact you didn't, is all the more reason you need it." Jack walked in and placed his hand gently in the crook of her elbow. Even through the material of her lab coat she could feel his warmth. "Come on."

"I can't." But she didn't pull away from his lead as Julie stepped around the curtain.

"I'll come get you if there's any change in Dr. Fraiser." She reassured her.

Tegan shook her head in refusal, Jack's hand exerting a little more pressure. "If you put up a fight, Dr. Warner has General Hammond's blessing and instruction to sedate you. It's your choice."

Tegan wanted to wipe the smirk off his face, but she was too tired. She reluctantly nodded and let Jack escort down the hall.

When the elevator doors opened, Sam stepped through. "How's Janet?"

"She's on a vent, and stable for now." Tegan responded.

"What's that mean?" Sam wasn't one to be dense.

"You can go see her, just stay out of the medical staff's way."

"Thanks." Sam's gaze narrowed on Tegan. "You ok?"

Tegan took a deep breath ready to answer with her cursory 'fine,' but instead she shook her head no. The tremors and weakness she'd been ignoring since cresting the cliff were now getting so bad she could barely stand.

That wasn't a good sign. In fact Jack couldn't remember anytime the hardheaded Major had ever answered no to that question. Before he could speak he felt her leaning more heavily on him, and the tremors which had gone almost unnoticed were now shaking his body as he tried to steady her. "Carter a hand here?"

Sam was already wrapping Tegan's free arm around her neck, seeing and now feeling the quivering of over used muscles.

"Let's take her back to the infirmary, its closer."

Tegan didn't argue with him as they turned around and headed back.

Dr. Warner looked up to see Tegan being supported between her two comrades, Shadow following close behind. He immediately walked over and pointed to a vacant bed.

"You'll get no argument from me." Tegan let her coworkers help her to the bed. At least this way she would be closer to Janet. She mentally began to berate herself for her weakness.

"You've pushed yourself further than should be humanly possible." Warner walked over with a syringe in his hand. "I'm going to give you five milligrams of versed to help you rest."

"No, I don't need it."

"Are you sure?" He eyed her cautiously.

"I'm positive. You come another step closer with that needle and I'll have your job."

"I was just trying to…"

"Help. I know." Tegan nodded. "If you want to help you'll get me two extra strength Tylenol and 12.5 milligrams of Benadryl po."

"Very well Doctor."

Eight hours after taking the pills she'd requested Tegan slipped out of the bed stretching her stiff muscles. The sleep had done her body some good, and she snuck down the hall and into the observation room where they'd moved Janet after intubating her. "Sergeant Copley, how's she doing?"

"Status quo."

"Shouldn't you be home?"

"I'm getting ready to report to the next shift Dr. Kiser," She nodded.

"When is Dr. Monroe due back?" She hoped it was soon.

"Not for another week."

"I'll be right in so you can go report off," Tegan turned the mic off and headed out where she ran into Sam.

"I was just looking for you," Sam saw the yellow purple and green bruising on the right side of Tegan's face that hadn't been evident even eight hours before. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." She pointed to Janet's room. "I was just heading in to relieve Julie."

"We need to know what to tell Cassie."

"I know," She sighed. "I don't know what to tell her yet."

"Did Warner check you over?" Sam was sure she already knew the answer but inquired all the same.

"No," She didn't hide her annoyance. "Why should he?"  
>"Have you looked in a mirror?"<p>

"No." She reached up and touched her face, it was tender but considering the face plant she'd done when she lost her footing on the climb she wasn't surprised.

"Look," Sam heaved a sigh. "I'll go sit with Janet so you can at least get a shower and eat."

She debated arguing the point that she was fine, surely there was a super hero out there somewhere who didn't need to eat, although none came to mind. When she realized Sam wasn't pushing her to let Warner look at what would undoubtedly be a bruised face and a few bruised ribs, cracked at the most, she nodded. "I just need to look in on her before I go."

Sam smiled as much as she could under the current conditions. She couldn't let herself think about what might happen after the next sixty odd hours. She had to focus on the here and now.

"Who's coming on?" Tegan hadn't even looked over the schedules. She hadn't had time. She glanced at her watch before adding, "I didn't think you worked nights."

"Let's just say I lost a bet, and leave it at that." Julie shook her head. "Cubage and Rose are working day shift, and I'm on call."

"Does Cassandra?" Tegan's eyes shifted over to Janet, the perfect rise and fall of her chest accompanied by the mechanical whirl of the ventilator.

"No." Julie handed Janet's chart to her. "She doesn't even know she's back from her mission yet."

Tegan bit her lower lip lightly and nodded. "Thanks. Uhm, sorry, I'm not used to this. You're dismissed."

Sam walked up to the other side of the bed after Julie left, "What do you think is going to happen?"

"At this point," Tegan closed the chart. "It's anyone's guess. I'm giving her Solu-Medrol IV, which is a steroidal anti-inflammatory and I'm hoping it'll help decrease any swelling and reverse the paralysis, but I really can't say if it's going to work or not."

"You need to go eat," Sam gently reminded.

"Yeah, I know." She looked once more at Janet not wanting to leave her, but knowing she had to. She needed a shower at the very least, she hoped it would help clear her head.

* * *

><p>"Kiser, just the person I'm looking for."<p>

"Colonel," She sighed lightly. She just walked out of the locker room in her service uniform.

"Carter said I could find you in the mess." He let his eyes travel her body unconsciously surprised but approving of her choice of skirt over slacks. He'd seen her long sleek legs plenty of times before but for some reason he couldn't help taking them in again, maybe it was the hose.

"I had to get a shower before I could do anything else." She drew his attention back up to her face.

"Ouch, Carter said you…" He pointed to the bruising. "What happened?"

"It happened while climbing, no big deal." She'd seen it after her shower, and decided she would pop some Tylenol to help with the throbbing if she could get two seconds alone to do so. "It looks worse than it feels."

"I doubt that." Jack shook his head. "Let's go grab a bite, you can update me on Doc."


	4. Chapter 4

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Dying Tomorrow 4**

"Hey." Tegan turned as the door opened to see Cassie standing there. "It's ok, you can come over here."

She wanted to reassure her that Janet would be ok, that she would open her eyes any minute and breathe on her own. She wanted to tell Cassie that Janet would walk again, and not to worry about a thing. She couldn't give her false hope, even when she so desperately wanted to believe it herself.

Cassie took Janet's hand in hers. "Hey mom, I know you're in there, and I hope you can hear me."

Tegan nodded when young blue eyes regarded her. "I'll be right outside."

She didn't want to intrude on the intimate moment between mother and daughter. She wondered if she should try to wean Janet off the sedative allowing her and Cassie time to say goodbye. The thought of how horrible it would be for Janet to be aware of the tube down her throat, made her toss the thought out for good.

"How's she doing?" Jack asked when Tegan had closed the door behind her.

"You told her?"

"General Hammond and I discussed it." Jack had taken Sam along for moral support, after all she was one of the main reasons Cassie was living with Janet.

"I could have…"

"You've got your hands full doing all you can to get Janet out of this mess."

"I was trained to talk to families." She wasn't offended.

"So was I, you don't know how many parents I've told lost a son, or wives husbands, or children parents over the years." He sighed and ran a tired hand over his face. "Besides this was different, Janet's not dead, and Cassie's family."

Tegan gave a single nod and stared down the hall.

"You haven't given up, have you Kiser?"

"No sir, of course not." She looked at her watch. "We've still got sixty hours to go."

"A lot can happen in sixty hours." He was optimistic, and hoped Tegan wasn't already grieving her loss.

"I need to make a phone call." Tegan looked at Janet's chart still grasped in her fist. "Can you get me if Cassie needs anything? I shouldn't be long."

After Jack nodded as Tegan headed for Janet's office where Shadow was curled up on his bed. He lifted his head curiously as Tegan stepped past him and picked up the phone dialing a number from memory before sitting rigidly in the swiveling office chair.

"Hello, this is Dr. Raynes."

"Greg," Tegan sighed into the phone.

"How's your soldier doing?"

"I told you she's the chief medical officer."

"I know, how is she?" His voice softened.

"I've got her on a vent, but she's given me express orders to remove it regardless in 3 days, I've got sixty hours left."

"Current course of treatment?"

"Solu-Medrol IV, max dose split TID. Everything else is pretty much palliative treatment."

He could picture her pouring over Janet's chart looking for a needle in a haystack just as clearly as if he were standing right in front of her. "You're not going to find it."

"Find what?" She shook her head forgetting he couldn't see her.

"Whatever it is you think you've missed. You can't do anything else Tegan. You've done all you can do, except wait."

"That's the worst part."

"It always has been."

"How many surgeries did you do today?"

"Five." He didn't need to count them up.

"How many patients do you have in the hospital?"

"I don't know maybe twenty-five, no more."

"I've currently got one, so when I'm not talking to you I'm staring at her, listening to the seconds on my watch tick away at an alarming rate. Each second that passes I'm one step closer to not being able to make a difference."

"We can't save them all." He gently reminded her wishing he could wrap her in his arms and comfort her.

"The last patient I lost was a little boy. If she dies, I'm making a little girl an orphan for the second time in her life. It never gets any easier."

He wanted to tell her it did, but he'd lost one he'd grown fond of recently to an inoperable brain tumor, and all he could come up with was; "No it doesn't."

"I've got to go."

"Don't listen to that watch too hard, and don't lose hope."

"I won't."

He whispered, "I love you."

But she'd hung up and never heard it as she headed back to room of never ending sounds; Time passing, IV and feeding pumps clicking, beeping monitors, the whoosh of a ventilator and her own silent thoughts.

Tegan had been sitting with Janet for the last fifty-eight hours, being pulled away only when she had too, to grab a coke, a shower or a few hours sleep. There was always a nurse in the room, and usually at least one member of SG1 was there or in the observation room. Cassie had been staying on base in one of the VIP rooms, and spent most of the day occupying Jack's time or playing with Shadow. She came in several times to check on her mom, and each time left a little less hopeful than when she came in.

Tegan now sat in Janet's office, the office she was to inherit after she turned the machines off and her friend had taken her last breath. Cassie wanted some alone time with her mom, and then of course so did Daniel, Teal'c, Jack and Sam. Each in turn they would say their one sided goodbyes.

Tegan poured over the x-rays and MRIs one last time hoping against hope there was something she'd missed. Something that would somehow make a difference, yet knowing there wasn't. She looked over at Shadow who sat there looking at her expectantly. He'd just been walked and had food and water. "It's not fair you know."

'Great!' She was talking to a dog again. He cocked his head to the side his left ear half standing.

"She's not brain dead, it's a spinal cord injury. People live with cord injuries all the time. She's asking me to play Kevorkian, to kill her. What if I can't do that?"

He whined once.

"I know what no heroic measures and no life saving devices mean." She buried her face in her hands. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to wake from this nightmare.

* * *

><p>Tegan turned the intercom off from inside the room, even though she was fairly certain no one would be in the observation room for a couple hours. She'd asked to be given some privacy before she had to cut the machine off. She had to promise to find them before she did, they all wanted to be there. She couldn't do it alone, she wasn't even sure she could do it at all.<p>

She sat there cradling Janet's hand in hers words running through her mind, conversations, and then rising above the cacophony of words were lyrics. She licked her lips, tentatively rearranging the lyrics of a Dave Mathews' song she'd heard a couple times. "_Did I do all that I should? That I could've done?_"

She looked around at the monitors, the IVs, Janet's chart lying off to the side, "_Did I do all that I could?_"

Finding the notes in her head, changing the words to her wants and needs, "_Stay or leave, I want you not to go; But you (_could_.) It was good as good goes; Stay or leave, I want you not to go; But you_…"

"Please," She let the emotions overwhelm her. "Cassie needs you, Sam needs you."

She pressed her forehead to the back of Janet's hand, silent sobs wracking her body, she let the tears fall; leaving wet trails down her nose before they dropped onto the back of Janet's hand in a tiny puddle. "They need you. I… I need you."

She jumped when Janet's hand jerked in hers. Her mind told her heart it was just a spasm, it wasn't anything to get excited about. But for once her heart refused to listen. She checked her watch, she had an hour, unless she wanted to convince herself it was a promise to extubate in 3 days, and not specifically seventy-two hours. It would be an easy task, and if Janet still didn't make it she could live with the guilt.

She sat there staring at Janet's hand, willing it to move again. "Come on Janet, give me a sign that you're going to get through this."

She waited, "Move a finger, open your eyes, something."

Nothing.

"Doctor?" Julie's soft voice startled her.

"Yes," She turned to look at the slightly opened door.

"I don't mean to intrude, but Colonel O'Neill asked me to check on you."

Tegan glanced at her watch, she'd been intently watching Janet for three hours and there hadn't been any sign of movement. Not one iota, was she clinging so hard to these borrowed hours for Cassie, or was it something more.

"Major?" Julie stepped inside, "Are you ok?"

Tegan looked back at her, the traces of tears shed earlier completely gone. "I…"

She stood up and bit her lower lip while taking a deep breath, she continued to hold Janet's small hand. "I think it's time."

BEEP! The alarm on the ventilator sounded before Julie could respond. She stepped up to the machine, and looked at Tegan before fiddling with the controls. "Her pressure's high."

"Seriously?" Tegan dared not hope, but a small smile started to form on her lips nonetheless.

"Yes," Julie couldn't hide her excitement. "Do you want me to get them?"

"Yes, but," Tegan's tone was more commanding than she thought possible. "Don't give them any false hope. We don't know…"

BEEP! Tegan watched as Julie turned the knob lowering the pressure setting even more, when she turned back around her smile had grown.

"I meant what I said Sergeant, no false hope."

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

><p>"Tegan?" Cassie drew her attention from the chart she was intently studying to the petite figure lying in the bed.<p>

"Yeah Cass?"

"I think she just moved her finger."

"Remember we talked about that?" Tegan checked out the readouts on the monitor. Janet's oxygen saturations had been holding steady since they'd extubated her.

"Muscle spasms," Cassie asked.

Tegan nodded as Janet's finger moved again. She watched it for a second before letting her eyes drift upward to Janet's face. There was no indication of pain, but Tegan thought her features looked tenser than they had moments earlier. "Janet?"

"Mom?" Cassie reached out and touched Janet's hand.

"Hey!" Tegan couldn't suppress the huge smile that pulled at her lips. "There she is."

"Mom!" Cassie's face lit up.

"Cass-" Janet's voice caught in her throat.

"It's from the tube," Tegan explained needlessly as Janet nodded. "Cassie, why don't you go let Julie know you're mom's awake, and ask her to let SG1 and General Hammond know."

Tegan waited until Cassie left to continue. "Are you having any pain anywhere?"

Janet thought for a second before shaking her head no. "My throat is dry."

Tegan picked up a glass of water with a straw in it and pressed the thin pad of her index finger against the opening and trapped a small amount of water in it. She sat the cup down and picked up the suction tubing as a precaution before putting the straw inside Janet's lips and removing her finger. When she was certain Janet could swallow without choking she returned the straw to the cup and held it up to Janet's lips.

Janet pushed the straw away with her tongue. "Thank you."

Tegan nodded. "Can you wiggle your fingers?"

After a few minutes Janet frowned. "No."

"Well, you are breathing on your own and that's a good sign."

"How many days?"

Tegan twisted her eyebrow in question.

"How many days was I on the vent?"

"Three." Tegan waggled three fingers in the air to make her point.

"Only three?"

"Yes," Tegan turned as the door opened to reveal Cassie and Sam. "I'll tell you all about it some time, you probably won't remember much from today anyway."

"Sedative"

"I've been titrating it down." She turned to Sam. "I know you want to talk to her, but she's tired and needs her rest. Fifteen minutes tops."

* * *

><p>"It's ok." Tegan pursed her lips as she put the feather and safety pin back into her lab coat pocket. "One step at a time."<p>

"Easy for you to say." Janet bit out.

"Things are improving. You can't expect everything to get better over night. You're breathing on your own again."

"So you keep telling me."

"I've said it twice." Tegan reminded herself that Janet wasn't really angry with her. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just kill me."

"I'm not even going to act like I heard that." Tegan opened Janet's chart. "You're already on the highest dose of Solu-Medrol I can put you on. I wish I knew if it was helping because I hate to keep you on it any longer than I have to."

"You need to get some sleep." Janet changed the subject. She knew Tegan was doing all that she could do. If she was going to be a paraplegic she didn't need to start taking it out on her friends, or her doctors.

"I've slept."

"When?" Janet knew she hadn't left her side since she'd first opened her eyes, whenever that was. She guessed it was about twelve hours ago.

"Who's the patient and who's the doctor here?" Tegan smiled lightly. "You're the one who had the bright idea that I could play CMO."

"You're not playing, you are."

"Not for long." She watched as Janet looked at her questioningly. "You're going to be back to your old self and annoying me in no time."

"You don't know that."

"And you don't know that you won't."

"Would you stop," Janet growled. "I'm probably never going to walk again."

"You're right." Tegan closed Janet's chart. "With that attitude you probably never will. Why don't we all just give up and let you spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair?"

"Hey mom!" Cassie ran into the room causing Janet to do nothing more than absorb what Tegan had just said.

"I'm going to go see about getting you moved back into the infirmary." Tegan excused herself, already feeling bad for not just biting her tongue. In a way she understood why Janet had been so hard on her after she'd been pulled over for doing 135 mph on her bike, but somehow that was different.


	5. Chapter 5

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Dying Tomorrow 5**

Tegan walked into the infirmary having left just long enough to get some sleep. Janet was out of the woods and didn't need her hovering twenty-four/seven.

"Did you eat?" Janet asked before Tegan could inquire how she was.

"I did." Tegan glanced over at Julie and rolled her eyes. She'd even showered and was wearing her daily blues with her labcoat; again she'd opted for the skirt over slacks.

"You actually slept?"

"You told me to." She felt a pang of guilt for having left Janet's side even in the middle of the night when she'd been sleeping soundly.

"I did tell you." Janet picked up on the slightest change in Tegan's tone. "I'm stable, and you need your rest."

"I know." Tegan leaned lightly against the bed letting the back of her index finger brush the back of Janet's hand. It was becoming an unconscious habit she'd fallen into while talking to Janet. "How are you…"

"Hey?" Janet interrupted. "Did you just touch my hand?"

"You felt that?"

"I think so." Janet watched as Tegan pulled the feather from her lab coat pocket.

"Close your eyes. Say now when you feel anything, ok?"

Janet nodded keeping her eyes closed.

She touched the feather to the back of Janet's cheek.

"Now." Janet frowned. She already knew she didn't have nerve damage in her face.

Tegan moved the feather to Janet's upper left arm.

"Now."

She reached across the bed softly letting the feather tickle the back of Janet's right hand.

"Now." Janet smiled.

"How about this?" Tegan rested her left hand on Janet's knee.

Janet's eyes popped open. "No."

"It's ok." Tegan pulled away putting the feather away. "Can you wiggle your fingers?"

After several attempts Janet sighed, "No."

"Hey!"

"What?"

"You just sighed. You haven't been able to do that."

"You're right." She smiled again.

* * *

><p>"To get the physical therapy you need, I'm going to have to move you off base."<p>

"I'm fine. I don't need PT."

"You're really weak from being on the ventilator and all the time you've spent in bed."

"So let me go home, I can drive myself to PT."

Tegan laughed lightly. "You can't even transfer from the bed to a wheelchair and you think you can drive yourself to physical therapy? And you call me hard headed."

"You are."

"You can't even do the steps to get up to your front door let lone the stairs inside."

"I have a sleep sofa," Janet reminded. She really didn't want to go to a rehabilitation facility military or otherwise.

"Let me talk to Paige and see what we can work out."

"I don't need babysitters."

Tegan checked her watch. "I've got SG1 coming in for their pre-mission physicals."

"I…" Janet started to apologize.

"It's just some boring mission anyway." She smiled. "Besides, I get to play CMO."

"It's not a game, and you're doing a great job."

"You know, next time you want to see if someone can fill your shoes, don't fall down a cliff ok? Besides, no one can fill your shoes."

"I don't know." Janet wiggled her feet under the sheets. "I've got pretty small feet."

"I talked to Paige." Tegan returned after finishing her pre-mission physicals for the morning and making a phone call or two. "She's going to stay with you during the day and leave in time to come in for the evening shift. It'll just be you and Cassie for about an hour til I get there, and hopefully you won't get into too much trouble."

"I don't want to be a bother."

"Look after all the times you've taken care of me…"

"I don't want you to feel like you owe me," Janet cut in. "Or that you're any trouble."

"Then you know exactly how I feel. I don't mind Janet, I don't mind at all."

"I just don't want you to feel you have to."

"I want to do this Janet, so please let me?"

"Ok." Janet acquiesced.

* * *

><p>"I want to go up stairs, to my own room." Janet quietly mused when Tegan wheeled her into the living room where the sofa bed had already been pulled out and made by Cassie.<p>

"Fine." Tegan locked the wheelchair and started to slide one arm under Janet's legs and the other behind her back.

"What are you doing?"

"You can't very well walk up the stairs, so I'll have to carry you."

"You can't carry me up the stairs," she protested, knowing full well Tegan was physically capable of it.

"Watch me." Tegan started to lift her.

Janet knew better than to issue a challenge to Tegan. "I meant don't carry me upstairs. I should stay down here until I can navigate the stairs on my own."

"No," Tegan corrected while lowering Janet back the two inches she'd actually lifted her. "You will stay down here until your physical therapist says you can do an entire flight of stairs on your own." It had been her plan all along.

"Has anyone ever told you, you rule with an iron fist?" Janet wrapped her arm around Tegan's neck as she helped her transfer to the bed.

"I learned from the best."

* * *

><p>"I don't like salad." Cassie complained that night over dinner which consisted of fresh wild greens, grilled chicken breast, a touch of shredded cheddar, a small handful of seasoned and toasted pecans and honey mustard dressing both of which Tegan had made from scratch.<p>

"Tough." Tegan shoved a mouthful of the salad into her mouth as Cassie looked at her mom.

"Just try it Cassie." Janet speared a piece of the breast and several different greens before taking her first bite.

"And don't even think about feeding it to Shadow, it'll make him sick."

"And you want me to eat it?" Cassie feigned horror.

"The greens upset his stomach. He can't digest them unless they're cooked." Tegan shook her head. "You on the other hand shouldn't have any problems."

"I thought we were ordering out tonight."

"This is great," Janet commented in earnest.

"Thanks." Tegan glanced at Janet who continued to eat, before turning back to Cassie. "Whatever gave you that idea?"  
>"I just thought you'd be tired after working all day, and then getting mom settled. I figured pizza was in order."<p>

"Well it's not." Tegan pointed to the teen's salad. "You've had enough junk food in the last week and a half. You need to eat something healthy."

"Mom," the girl whined.

"She's right Cassandra." Janet effectively ended the discussion so she could finish enjoying her own salad in peace.

"Thanks for fixing dinner, it was great."

"You're welcome." Tegan dropped into the chair in the living room having left Cassie to rinse the dishes and put them in the dishwasher while she got Janet settled back in the living room. "You don't have to keep thanking me."

"I know." Janet rested her head back on the pillows she was propped against. "But it was delicious. I think Cassie even liked it, once she tried it."

"I did not." Cassie walked into the living room. "I told you I don't like salad."

"Would it be so hard to admit you actually liked it?" Tegan had watched her completely clear her plate.

"Whatever. I'm going to take your dog for a walk."

"Cassandra." Janet's tone warned her daughter to watch her attitude.

"What? He needs to go pee." She pointed to the sleeping mass of fur on the floor.

* * *

><p>"How was your day?" Janet was sitting on the couch when Tegan came in after work. She'd been doing the stairs for a few days, but mainly to go up at night and come down the next morning.<p>

"You kicked Paige out," Tegan heaved a sigh.

Janet shrugged, "I don't need her."

"Just like that?"

"You look tired," Cassie observed from her perch on the chair. "Maybe we should order pizza?"

Tegan eyed her warily, she was tired and frustrated.

"Where's Shadow?" Janet looked around expecting to see the dog in close proximity to Tegan.

"Jack took him home."

"Why?" Cassie asked for them both.

Tegan shrugged her shoulders. "He just said he wanted him for the night."

"You never answered my question."

"What question?" Tegan pulled the top button of her uniform blouse loose.

"Are we ordering pizza?" Cassie restated her question.

"No." Both Janet and Tegan answered in unison.

"How was your day?" Janet inquired again.

"Busy." Tegan pointed upstairs, starting to feel a bit more domesticated than she ever had. "I'm going to grab a hot shower before I start dinner."

"What are we having?"

She looked at Cassie for a minute. "I don't know."

The doorbell rang as Tegan descended the stairs, her hair still wet from her shower.

"I've got it." Cassie ran in front of her as she reached for the door, she had something green in one hand. She pulled the door open and handed the guy the money before taking the white bags from his hand. "Keep the change."

"Chinese?" Tegan followed her into the living room. She'd thrown on an old pair of loose faded cut off Levi's that showed off more of her leg than Janet remembered seeing aside from some of her physicals, and a soft dry-mustard dyed shirt from some surf competition or other.

"My treat, you've been working too hard." Janet pulled out the sweet and sour chicken dinner and handed it to Cassie. "Do you want General Tsao's chicken, or Ling Mung Gai?"

"Ling Mung Gai?" Tegan wrinkled her nose mimicking the way Cassie looked whenever something healthy was put in front of her.

"Lemon chicken." Janet smiled.

"I'll take that one." She took the boxed dinner and grabbed the remaining can of Pepsi before sitting on the opposite end of the sofa from Janet. "Thanks."

"No problem." Janet watched as Tegan popped the top on her drink. "You need a hair cut."

"I know." Tegan rolled her eyes, it had grown back quicker than she'd expected it to, and lately she couldn't find the time. She'd been doing her best to twist it up and keep it off her collar at work. Unfortunately at this length it wanted to curl more than normal and she often had small unruly ringlets working their way out at the hair line on her neck.

"Or you could let it grow out?"

"Ugh, it's too much trouble trying to keep it up, especially when I'm off world."

* * *

><p>It had been a week since Paige had stopped staying during the day, and Janet was steadily improving. She was already in the kitchen with coffee brewing when Tegan came down that morning to go to work. "You're down here early."<p>

"Trying to get my routine back." Janet frowned lightly at Tegan's uniform.

"What?"

"You're wearing pants." Janet brushed it off.

"So?" It wasn't like Janet never chose to wear slacks.

"Your crease is off." She didn't know why she preferred seeing Tegan in a skirt, or maybe she did but wasn't going to admit it even to herself.

Tegan looked down knowing it wasn't. "It's perfect. Seriously what's up?"

"I'm doing the stairs on my own, and I can fix dinner for Cassie and myself."

"Are you kicking me out?" Tegan had seen it coming, but waited patiently for Janet to find the right time.

"I need to get my life back." She emphasized 'my.'

"You're preaching to the choir. I know all about hovering doctors and needing your own space."

"I don't hover."

"Of course not." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "I'll stop by after work to get my stuff."


	6. Chapter 6

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Dying Tomorrow 6**

Janet sat in her uniform and except for the lab coat she and Tegan matched, both having opted to wear skirts that morning. Something Tegan might regret in the next hour. She stepped back having just finished Janet's neurological check.

"It's been six weeks." She was counting from when she first started to regain feeling. "And Darren has released me."

"Darren? You're on a first name basis with your physical therapist?" It wouldn't have been so odd, except he was military.

"If you saw his nicely sculpted ass you would be too." Janet grinned.

Tegan shrugged, she'd only talked to him on the phone. "General Hammond and I have already talked. Half days for two weeks starting tomorrow and we'll go from there."

"It's already Wednesday, let me work this afternoon."

"No." Tegan stood her ground. "Two half days this week and we'll see how it goes."

"But I'm already in uniform," Janet argued.

"You're just trying to give me a taste of my own medicine, aren't you?" Tegan grinned at the thought.

"No one could be as bad as you when it comes to being a patient." Janet smiled. "I'm ready to work, today."

"Don't push your luck, I can make it Monday." She closed Janet's chart and laid it aside.

"But –"

"Medical team to the embarkation room!" The Klaxons resounded.

"I've got to go." Tegan took off down the corridor.

* * *

><p>"What's going on?" Tegan stepped around the two medics blocking her view, while pulling on a pair of latex gloves. She didn't understand why they weren't doing anything until her eyes landed on Captain Daniels.<p>

"There's no time to move him." Tegan ran up the ramp where his team had lowered the portable gurney he was on. He had a gapping chest wound, and she didn't know how he was still conscious let alone alive. "Staff blast?"  
>"Yeah," He choked on the blood foaming up his trachea and spattering past his lips. She felt the vise of his fingers tighten on her right forearm and looked into his pleading brown eyes. "Don't let me die Doc."<p>

"You're not going anywhere on me Freddy." She looked at her medics still standing there in shock. Why wasn't someone with more experience working today? Like Julie, why did Sergeant Copley have to take a day off? Why today? "Sergeant I need an arterial line started, normal saline wide open. Airman, open three packs of sterile 4x4s."

She didn't care that she wasn't wearing sterile gloves; she'd have to deal with any consequent infection later. She was so absorbed in her current situation she was unaware of her audience looking down from the control room. Jack, Sam and Daniel had been reviewing a recent MALP transmission when SG2 had come through. General Hammond and Janet had arrived almost simultaneously with Tegan entering the embarkation room.

When Janet moved to help, General Hammond put a firm hand on her shoulder, "You're not cleared for duty."

"Yes sir."

"I want a second line started." Tegan watched Freddy's eyes roll back in his head. "Stay with me Freddy, come on."

"He doesn't have a pulse."

"Come on Freddy, hang in there." Tegan pulled out the gauze she'd just packed in his chest and shoved her hand inside. "I need you to intubate him."

"I've…" Sergeant Brass stuttered.

"I need a code cart in here now! You can do this." Tegan wrapped her fingers around the warm motionless muscle and squeezed, she didn't have time to completely open his chest, not to mention she really needed to be in an operating room. She continued to massage his heart while talking Sergeant Brass through the procedure.

By the time Daniels was intubated and Sergeant Brass had started manually ventilating him Airman Peters had returned with the code cart and extra hands. "Give him 1mg epi, and I need the internal paddles charged to 20."

She pulled her bloody hand out of Daniels' chest and took the paddles from Peters. Once she had them placed directly against his heart she gave the command. "Now."

His heart remained flaccid. "Charge to 30, I want another mg of epi."

"It hasn't been three minutes," Airman Snyder spoke from behind her.

"Give it anyway." Her voice ordered.

"Charged," Peters announced.

"Now." Tegan watched his heart jerk as the electricity went through it. "Again."

Still nothing.

"Again." When nothing happened she threw the paddles aside and reached in with her hand once more "Come on Freddy, you're going to pull through. Come on, man."

Janet looked at General Hammond and shook her head as a large drop of sweat rolled down the profile of Tegan's nose and paused for a second before plunging into the open wound to mingle with Freddy's blood. "Doctor?"

Tegan pulled her hand out and picked up the paddles ignoring the General's voice over the intercom. "Now."

"Doctor Kiser!"

"Give another mg of Epi." Tegan reached back into his chest as Colonel O'Neill and Janet entered the room.

"Major Kiser." Jack stood a few feet behind her. "Let him go."

"I am the CMO!" She ground out in rhythm while manually pumping his heart in her hand.

"And need I remind you Major," It was General Hammond's voice over the intercom again; "That I can relieve you of duty."

"You've done all that can be done." Janet watched as Tegan's head jerked in her direction. "Call it."

"I told you to go home." Her voice was calm as she continued her ministrations to her current patient. "He's not going to die on me."

"He never had a chance Tegan."

"You're wrong." She stretched for the paddles but felt her self being pulled away from his body. She reached out and pushed, "Let go of me."

Colonel O'Neill felt the warm moisture leaching through his shirt as Tegan pushed him backwards. "Major!"  
>"Call it," She looked at Sergeant Brass.<p>

"Time 1047 hours."

Tegan left the medics to take care of the aftermath in the gate room. She turned without a word and retreated to the locker room where she stood under a steamy hot blast of water. She'd scrubbed her body and stood under the almost scalding water until there was no chance of any remaining traces of blood anywhere on her.

She returned to her temporary office wearing a pair of air force blue BDU pants and a black regulation t shirt, her hair was still damp but was twisted and bobby pinned off her collar. She pulled her remaining clean lab coat from the rack and felt a pair of eyes on her. She knew they weren't Shadow's. "I told you to go home."

"You did." Janet spoke from where she sat on the small couch against the front wall to the office. "I wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine." Tegan kept her back turned as she slid gracefully into the lab coat.

"There was nothing you could have done to save him." Janet shared her observation. "He was dead before he ever came back through the gate. There was nothing anyone could have done to save him."

"I'm currently the acting CMO and I told you to go home." Her lips pressed into a thin line as she spun around on her right heel.

"You did everything humanly possible." Janet disregarded her commanding tone.

"Go home, and forget coming in tomorrow." Tegan's voice was steady. "I warned you, and you didn't listen to me."

"Tegan…"

"I don't want to hear it."

"Call me tonight." Janet waited for a response that never came, after several minutes she left.

* * *

><p>"Where were you last night?"<p>

Tegan walked in to find Janet sitting behind her desk. She'd opted for slacks after the events of the day before. "I thought I told you not to come in today."

"You didn't call me, so I tried calling you at home. Security said you left for the night."

"I didn't go home." Tegan's gaze narrowed. "I haven't released you for duty yet."

"Where did you go?"

"Go home." Tegan approached the desk and picked up her schedule for the day.

"Where's he going?" Janet referred to Shadow who had just jumped up and trotted out of the room, as Tegan dropped the schedule back on the desk.

"He knows when to get the hell out of Dodge." She moved to the doorway. "You should follow his lead, and go home."

"Tell me where you were last night and I'll go."

She wasn't going to play games, and she wasn't about to tell Janet she really didn't know where she was last night. She'd ridden her Ducati around aimlessly until the first streaks of predawn hit the sky. She'd used her navigational system to get her back to base. "I'm heading to General Hammond's office if you're still here when I get done with SG8's pre-mission physicals."

"We all deal in different ways, but if you need to talk."

"I've lost patients before Janet. He wasn't the first, he probably won't be the last." If she were honest it wasn't just that she'd lost Freddy, or that she'd told him he wasn't going anywhere. It was that she still hadn't dealt with almost losing Janet.

"Come by for dinner tonight."

"No." Tegan shook her head. "Go home, and I'll see you in the morning."


End file.
